Pets
by Light1
Summary: Dracula struggles to cope with the loss of his wife. His grief and responsibility as a father clash. To cope he tries an untested tactic.


**Pets**

Disclaimer: Castlevania belongs to konami not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.

Rating: PG-13

Part: one of one

Setting: Before SOTN

Authoress note: Every child needs some company.

{Dracula}

Over a year had passed since Lisa's death; the village was paying for its crimes. He allowed them only time enough to recover before he reminded them of their mistake. Every time the ashes stopped smouldering he would light them again, raining down fire and monsters on the humans who had tried to destroy his family. He knew that eventually the village would fall, and then he would move onto the next. No human would be left who did not suffer for the mistakes of their kin.

"Father?" Adrian's voice pulled him out of his plotting. Dracula turned to see the boy stepping out onto the balcony. Only seven years old and without a mother, Dracula clenched his jaw but relaxed when Adrian flinched.

"It's alright," he forced a smile and knelt down holding out a hand. Adrian ran to him, his smile genuine Dracula stopped scowling, although he could not manage a smile. His boy always managed to lift his mood a little. He caught the scent of pond weed and took a deep breath through his nose, Adrian stank of pond weed, and he was soaking wet. "What on earth," he muttered pushing the boy back so he could see him. "You're soaked."

"I fell in the lake," Adrian said proudly.

"What?" Dracula said.

"The ice was making noises then it broke, then one of the ice ladies came and tried to pull me out but it didn't work so she left and and and came back with one of the lake trolls. He was nice, he lifted me up high and then I came here," Adrian did not pause for breath.

"Quite the adventure," Dracula muttered lifting Adrian. "But its cold, you'll get sick again."

"Nope," Adrian said but held on tightly as Dracula launched them upwards, aiming for the tower windows rather than take the longer route through the halls.

"You will," Dracula said, trying to concentrate on reaching the window. He was trying to not remember the last time Adrian had fallen ill. He'd never been so frightened in his life, watching and unable to do anything while his child fought an invisible enemy.

"Nope, not again. I hated that. I won't do it again," Adrian said turning his head to Dracula's shoulder as they broke the window and landed in the tower. Dracula brushed the fragments of broken glass out of Adrian's hair and walked towards the bedroom. The window pulled itself together behind them.

"It's getting late, you should have a bath and get into bed," Dracula said, more to himself than to his son.

"Bath!" Adrian laughed. Dracula smiled, his son was a remarkably happy child all things considering. Dracula wondered if that would change as the boy grew, but the thought was fleeting. He silently called out to the Castle for assistance. In response one of the naga women, Saline, was waiting by the bedroom door when he arrived.

"My Lord," she dipped her head.

"Run a bath," he said.

"I smell!" Adrian reached out to Saline, his small hand smudged pond weed on her cheek.

"So I see young master," the naga lady smiled but did not try to take the little master from his father. Carrying the boy seemed to be a favourite of the master and you interfered with him at your peril, even when the young master smelt of pond weed. "My Lord," she turned to Dracula, "I beg your forgiveness but I had heard of the young master's mishap and so took it upon myself to prepare a bath for him already. It is waiting for you." She opened the door and watched as Dracula entered without another word to her. She followed behind him.

"Let go," Dracula said. Adrian refused with a shake of his head. "Now, Adrian." The boy obeyed and was stripped of his sodden clothes before being dumped in the steaming bath.

"My Lord, will you be requiring anything further?" Saline asked it was often better to ask than to presume, Saline had taken a risk in running the bath.

"No Saline," Dracula said, she turned to go. "Wait," Dracula called.

"Yes my Lord," she said. Dracula looked away saying nothing. Saline smirked but hid it quickly least Dracula spot it. The Lord was always bad at asking for help, and so he should be, for there were those in the castle who would view it as weakness and look to overthrow him for it.

"Adrian what are you doing," Dracula snapped when Adrian disappeared under the water and did not resurface. He reached in and pulled the boy up.

"Nooo," Adrian moaned. "I have to beat Felix."

"Who's Felix?" Saline asked Adrian looked to her.

"Felix is my friend, he's a merman. His parents live in the small pool by the crying statue," Adrian said.

"So you're trying to beat a merman at staying underwater?" Saline asked resting on her coils by the tub. Adrian nodded Dracula tutted loudly.

"That's ridiculous," Dracula muttered.

"It's fun!" Adrian insisted. Saline handed Dracula the soap and sat quietly while the little master regaled them both with stories about Felix, and how they had found a secret chamber under the pool that absolutely no one else knew about. After the bath, Saline helped Dracula dry off the little master and get him ready for bed.

"Now little master, have you eaten today?" Saline asked.

"Twice," Adrian said. "And I did my lessons and I spent time outside and I stayed inside the walls," Adrian spoke robotically, reciting the list of what he was supposed to do each day.

"And have you had a good day?" she said. Adrian nodded.

"Then I will leave you to say good night," she smiled. She was surprised when the little master gave her a brief hug but accepted it before heading to the doorway.

"Saline, wait outside for me," Dracula said and listened to her leave.

"Good night, Adrian," he leant forward and pushed his son down to the bed. "Go to sleep."

"Night father," Adrian smiled and rolled over.

"Try and stay in your own bed tonight," Dracula smirked. His boy had a habit of leaving the bed in the night and crawling in with him. After Lisa had died the nightmares had been terrible for them both and they had taken comfort from their closeness but now the nightmares had faded but still Adrian clambered into his bed.

"I'll try," Adrian said.

"See that you do," Dracula nodded, blew out the candle and left the boy to sleep.

"Forgive my liberty, my Lord, but you are a good father," Saline said as he stepped out and closed the door. Dracula stared hard at her and for a moment she thought she had overstepped her bounds but instead of anger, she was met with resignation.

"I was good at being his friend on occasion, his father, though... I have little practice and even less patience." Dracula pinched the bridge of his nose. "And the boy ... he's always there, all the time, he always needs something."

"He is a child, my Lord," she said softly. "They are dependent. Simply give him what he needs; it will never be something you cannot provide for him."

"It goes beyond, food, water, blood," Dracula said. "The boy craves comfort and I have very little to give," he let out a long breath. "The boy needs something to distract him from the horror around him, something soft and warm like his mother was. He won't find it from me."

"I see," Saline said softly. "Then give him something to focus his affection on that is not you." Dracula looked at her and frowned. "A pet my Lord, give the boy something to dote on, something to develop his ...human side."

"Do not call it that," Dracula snarled.

"Forgive me, something to develop that which his mother gave him, his gentler emotions perhaps," Saline dipped her head.

"He is a child still, he cannot have children of his own," Dracula said firmly.

"But you can give him a pet, Lord," Saline smiled. "Something small to love."

"Something small," Dracula repeated and smiled. "I think I know just the creature."

The following evening Dracula interrupted his son's lessons to give him his gift. The librarian looked up with a frown on his face but it disappeared when he saw who was daring to interrupt them. Adrian let out a surprised shout and bolted up to see his father. Dracula held his clasped hands aloft to keep his treasure out of the boys thundering way.

"Calm down," he said, confused. The boy had seen him only an hour passed why was he so thrilled to see him again. Why did he have to express his glee so forcefully?

"What's that?" Adrian asked pointing to Dracula's hands.

"A gift for you," Dracula said softly. "But it is small and fragile, you must be gentle. Like ... Like your mother."

"I can be gentle," Adrian said calming significantly. "Mother taught me how; she used to say if I was gentle she would let me play with the other children."

"Yes, alright," Dracula said, hoping to stop that conversation before it started. "Look here." He brought his hands down and opened them.

It was small. That was the first thing Adrian noticed when his father opened his hands to show him what he had brought.

"What is it?" tiny cold hands held onto Dracula's arms trying to pull them lower so he could see what it was he held. Adrian watched as the tiny furry creature unfurled small leathery wings and squeaked at him in a curious manner.

"She is for you," Dracula smiled as the small bat tried to take to the wing and managed to rise up only a foot into the air before she crash landed in his child's hair.

"For me," Adrian repeated. Dracula watched as his child pulled the tiny bat from his hair with a surprising amount of gentility. "Hello, little bat."

"You should give her a name, young master," the librarian said. Adrian nodded and was quiet a moment before smiling.

"Mic liliac," he said. "Do you like your name liliac?" he put the bat back into his hair and sat to resume his lesson. "You'll stay with me," he said softly. Dracula smiled, pleased.

He sought his child out later that evening, concerned. Usually after lessons Adrian came to him, seeking his attention. But tonight Adrian had not come and Dracula had become worried. He found the boy by the fountain. He was holding the tiny bat up to the wind, letting the creature get a feel for the wind in its wings.

Dracula settled in to watch his son. He had not realised the bat was too weak to fly, it had been the smallest one in the flock, barely old enough to be away from its mother, it had reminded him of his son. Now seeing his boy holding the tiny creature up he knew he had chosen well.

Every now and then the wind would become too strong and the bat would be blown off Adrian's hands but his son always managed to catch the creature before it struck the stone ground. Dracula chortled at the attentive nature of his child, so focused on the tiny pointless creature.

The bat let out sharp squeaks that a mortal would have difficulty hearing, Dracula watched as his boy smiled and nipped his own fingertip and offering it to the creature. Dracula frowned; his son was behaving like he was the creature's mother, doting on it, feeding it, trying to teach it. It was the response he had been hoping for although a little more enthusiastic than he had expected. Briefly, Dracula found himself wondering what made his son behave as such, he was clearly not female and so was not broody. The thought made him smile, and he found himself wondering what Adrian would be like when he became old enough to breed.

"She is getting stronger," Dracula said stepping forwards. "She glides now rather than falls."

"Liliac is wonderful," Adrian grinned putting the bat into his hair and running to his father.

"So she is," Dracula smiled as Adrian clambered onto his lap and began reciting everything he had done that day, from waking up to training his pet.

Dracula couldn't help but smile a little at his child's enthusiasm for everything he did, his open honesty and his love for everything he beheld. The vampire Lord summarised that his child was simply a loveable creature; it was nothing to do with his blood, but simply his nature. It was such a shame that such tragedy had befallen them, and no doubt age would warp Adrian's placid nature, twisting him as it had Dracula. Once again the older vampire found himself contemplating his child's blood nature. His human/vampire blood mixture could be a weakness but it could also be a strength, Dracula had vowed to himself when Adrian was born that he would wait and see how his child grew before he made any serious attempt to turn him fully, he reaffirmed that vow to himself now.

The child was all there was that was truly left of Lisa. He did not really want to destroy that.

"…and she's getting better at flying," Adrian was still talking animatedly. "One day soon I'm sure she'll make it all the way around the fountain!"

"Is that so?" Dracula smirked at his child, it was so strange to look at something of his and see innocence. No, he would not warp his child unless it was absolutely necessary. "Well, I'm sure you'll both be able to fly one day." He stood lifting his child with him, hoisting the youth so he sat on his hip.

"Mother used to tell me you flew." Adrian yawned suddenly; being carried always made him docile and sleepy. "I want to too."

"You will," Dracula sighed as he walked them back into the castle.

 **End fic**

Authoress note: I love the bat familiar, love the little hearts when Alucard turns into a bat as well, so cute.

Thank you for reading, please review, I'd love to hear what you think of the fic.

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My first Novel, Grey Wings has now been released!

GREY WINGS

Jason is stranded in a dark city and is in desperate need of help when he has no idea how he will get home.

So, when he collides with Aurelius, an Angel only in the mildest sense of the word – who has committed a crime worthy of great punishment, but has been handed a rare chance at redemption – Jason can see a way home.

However, their journey will be hampered by Fallen Angels, Earth Spirits, and Griffons – and none can say if everyone will make it home.


End file.
